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I had the opportunity to engage in an insightful conversation with Ritesh Lakhi on RedFM Vancouver, where we delved into the pressing issue of onward migration amongst new immigrants in Canada. Our discussion shed light on the growing trend of immigrants leaving Canada due to various factors, including the challenges of housing affordability, rising inflation, and other socio-economic hurdles. We also explored the crucial aspect of not only immigrant intake but the significance of their integration and retention in Canada. The conversation highlighted the upcoming challenges and the need for s ..read more

Another year comes to a close. In immigration law that means that the previous 365 days has seen a plethora of announcements and developments (we even got through a federal government strike, thankfully one that seemed to have minimum impact on processing). One constant in this field has been the revolving door at the very top; 2023 saw yet another Minister take charge (I’m losing count of the number of Ministers I’ve seen come and go since I started practice). What has stood out for me this year was the following: The end to immigration detention –at least in the form that many of us were fa ..read more

A PR loses a substantive right of appeal to the IAD if they are convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 6 months or longer in Canada. One approach to deal with such cases was to seek the Officer/Delegate's discretion not to write a report. No report means no enforcement.  This was the approach taken by Jaskirat Sidhu who pled guilty and received an incarceral sentence of 8 years. Through counsel he made extensive submissions to the responsible officer/Minister's Delegate. The officer/MD ultimately proceeded with writing/referring the s.44(1) and (2) report.  Chief Justic ..read more

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of hearings entailing appearances at the Federal Court, Refugee Protection Division (RPD), and the Immigration Appeal Division. These hearings have showcased the breadth and complexity of immigration litigation in Canada. Last week began with two Federal Court appearances on Monday and Wednesday. The first dealt with a refusal of an overseas humanitarian and compassionate application by a visa office abroad. The second involved a where an LGBTQ individual from Pakistan faced refusal for the second time by the Refugee Appeal Division (RAD). The week conc ..read more

On November 7, 2023 I was interviewed by host Amanjot Pannu on RedFM and engaged in a Punjabi language discussion on the recent immigration levels announcement by Minister Marc Miller.  In my opinion, Canada's immigration landscape is at a crossroads, with a surge in the temporary resident class (now) raising concerns among policymakers and the public alike. This surge seemingly wasn't a concern until this year when affordability and inflation raised its head. This temporary resident demographic encompasses both international students and temporary foreign workers, has been significantly ..read more

I was interviewed by Chris Walker of CBC Daybreak on November 2, 2023 discussing the newly announced immigration levels announced by Minister Miller. Download 2023 11 02 CBC daybreak interview Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Lawyers · 2023 11 02 CBC Daybreak Interview Chris Walker: 13 minutes after six o'clock Pacific Time Immigration Minister Marc Miller has unveiled the federal government's updated immigration plan. It aims to attract more immigrants to smaller communities and rural areas, and we'll have more on that by the way, a bit later this morning on our program. This plan i ..read more

A recent stakeholder meeting reveals the impact of the diplomatic strain on Canadian immigration services in India In a stakeholder meeting held on October 20, 2023, between Deputy Minister Christiane Fox of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Deputy Minister Rob Stewart of Global Affairs Canada, and representatives from the Canadian Bar Association's National Immigration Section (including our friend Jatin Shory), concerns were addressed regarding the ongoing diplomatic tensions between Canada and India. The immediate fallout has been the expulsion of 41 Canadian diplomats ..read more

The following is a transcript of a lengthy interview on September 25, 2023, much of which was for context, some of which utilized for a CBC National story on the dramatic rise in refugee claims from India coinciding with the rise of Modi and the BJP. Interviewer: Thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview. Just to start, I was wondering if you could introduce yourself and your background. … Raj Sharma: My name is Raj Sharma. I'm an immigration lawyer based out of Calgary. Many years ago I was a refugee protection officer with the Immigration Refugee Board. Since that t ..read more

The following is a transcript of an interview/call-in show -CBC Alberta at Noon with Judy Aldous -on October 4, 2023 Judy Aldous: Rising tensions with India. What does this mean to you? This is Alberta at Noon. I'm Judy Aldous. Well, the anti-Canada rhetoric has surged in the Indian media. Palki Sharma: Clearly the Canadian Prime Minister is out of his depths. Arnab Goswami: And ladies and gentlemen, he is facing a huge backlash from the press back home. Palki Sharma: It seems that the Canadian leader needs a lesson in international relations. Arnab Goswami: And J ..read more